Police investigating two shooting incidents in Chester

CHESTER -- A 35-year-old woman was struck by a stray bullet while washing dishes in her East 11th Street home Wednesday, police said.

The victim, whose identity was not released, remains hospitalized, but is expected to survive her injuries, police said.

"We're all incensed by any shootings in the city," said Mayor John Linder. "None of them are minor as far as I'm concerned."

Two men were also shot during the same incident, which took place around 4:35 p.m. on the city's Eastside.

According to police, a 35-year-old man told investigators he was looking at real estate in the 500 block of East 10th Street when he was approached by a group of black males wearing black hooded sweatshirts. The victim told police he tried to flee, but was shot in the hand when one of the men in the group opened fire. He was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for treatment.

A 33-year-old man was also shot in the back during the incident. It was unclear if the second shooting victim was with the first victim when he was shot. He too is expected to survive.

Police subsequently learned that the woman on East 11th Street had been hit by a stray bullet from the gunfire that took place about a block away, police said. It appears the bullet traveled through the victim's dining room wall and struck her in the chest. A gun was recovered at the crime scene.

"Again, it was a situation where two or three individuals were shooting outside of a home and the bullet came through the wall," Linder said. "She was fortunate that the wall slowed the bullet down. She was lucky the injury was not life-threatening."

Linder said he visited with the woman in the hospital.

"She was in pretty good spirits, and was fortunate her injuries weren't greater than they were," he said.

Across town at the William Penn Housing Project, two men were shot at 5:34 p.m. -- several hours after shots were fired about a block away in the 400 block of Whittington Place.

The victims in that incident, a 27-year-old man and 32-year-old man, were in the 300 block of Concord Avenue when they were both shot in the lower extremities. They were treated at Crozer for non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

Police have little information on that shooting, but believe it may be related to the incident that took place earlier in the day.

Linder said he plans to address the recent rash of shootings, adding that the push to beef up patrols by city police, with assistance from Pennsylvania State Police, U.S. Marshals and random strike teams earlier this year, was successful in making it a quieter summer than in past years.